Tray



J. RUZE May 14, 1929.

TRAY

Filed April 30, 1927 IN VE 1V TOR A TTORNEY comprehend the underlying features of my Patented May :14, UNITED STATES I J 1,713,141 PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN BUZE, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

TRAY- Application filed April 80, 1927. Serial No. 188,007.

This invention relates tol storage and disla tra s and in particu ar rays 0 a ghaiactef adapted to be nested to hold stationary, ma zines or the l1ke.

' A particu ar object of the invention is to rovide a tray or nest of trays whlch may be astened into different sizes of desk drawers to accommodate a variety of stationery for use in correspondence and the like, the nest being so arranged that it can be spread out depending upon the depth of the drawer.

A still further particular ob ect of the 1nvention is to provide a nest of trays which may be used in horizontal or vertical position to contain stationery, may be disposed within a drawer or may be used on top or 1n association with a typists desk A still further object of the invention is to rovide a handy nest of trays for displaying oks, magazines, newspapers and slmllar articles so arranged that the first tray may be fastened to the supporting agent and then the additional trays making up the nest of trays, be slid into connection therewith and arranged to effectively display the contents thereof, means being provided 1n the trays for adjusting their relative posltlon to each other so that more or less surface of the article to be displa ed may be shown.

To ena le others skilled inthe art to fully invention that they may embody the same in the various modifications in structure and relation contemplated, a drawing deplctlng a preferred form has been annexed as a part of this disclosure and-in such draw1ngs,s1m1- lar reference characters denote corresponding parts thoughout all the views, of which,

Figure 1 is a view in front elevation of a single tray member constructed in accordance with my invention.

Figure 2 is a view in side elevation of the tray shown in Figure 1, the holdlng tongue in the sides thereof bein illustrated, as are the lips formed in the gottom thereof and arranged to hold the section or tray in connection with other ones of its kind.

Figure 3 is a sectional view taken on the line 3-3 of Figure 1 and shows the c6nstruction of my improved tray member.

Figure 4 is a fragmentary view of one corner of the tray showing how the tongue provided therein is used for the purpose of fixing the tray into a drawer.

Figure 5 is a side view in sectional elevation taken though a drawer. of shallow type showing the use in connection therewithof my improved stationery holding tray, the same being placed together to form a nest and being relatively positioned so that access may be readily had to the contents of each individual tra igure 6 is a view in side elevation a part thereof being shown in section to show how the nest of trays may be positioned on the side of a wall or other supporting agent and be so arranged relatively to each other that the contents may be effectively displayed.

Figure 7 is a fragmentary, cross sectional view in elevation taken through one corner of the nest of trays and showing how each of the trays are provided with an outwardly bercilt lip which engages the next adjacent tray, an

Figure 8 is a fra mentary view in sectional elevation showing ow one of the lips formed in the tray engages the bottom or closed end of the subjacent tray to allow the enter" one to be su ended t erefrom.

Referrlng to the drawings in detail, 5 indi: cates a tra which consists of a bottom 6, side walls 7 an bottom closed end 8, the side walls being provided with the'cut out extensions or flanges 9 which are bent over to form top pieces or top flanges for the tray and which act to retain the contents of the tray and prevent it from falling out of the tray.

-It is of course understood that the tray is made of metal or any other Suitable material and each tray of the nest is formed in identically the same manner so that the trays are interchangeable and any number may be employed to make up a single unit, the bottom of the trays 6 is provided with unched out lips 10 which are bent downwar ly and outwardl as illustrated in Figures 3 and 7 so that t ey are in spaced relation to the under side of the bottom 6 of the tray and are 7 arranged to slide over the edges of the flanges 9 of the next subjacent tray. These lips 10 are provided longitudinally of the tray 5 in any spaced relation desired.

I have illustrated the lips 10 punched out at 11, 12 and 13, the latter two being adjacent the to edgeof the tray while the lips located at t e point indicated at numeral 11 are adjacent the bottom edge of the tray, the side walls 7 of the tray adjacent the upper edge thereof are provided with out tongues 14 which are further provided with o enmgs 15 whereby the same may be secure to the side walls 116 of a drawer 17 as illustrated in Figure 5, so that the trays 5 when nested may assume the position shown in said figure. In Figure 4, it is evident that the tongue 14 may be pressed outwardly to engage the side walls of the drawer 17 and the fact that the tongue 14 may be so pressed outwardly provides. an

adjustable feature whereby these trays may as illustrated in Figure 6, I have provided the bottom 6 of the tray with openings 19, having extended portions 20, the openings 19 being large enough to allow passage therethrough of the head of a fastening element 21, such, for instance, as a screw, it being of of course understood that the screw head will be spaced from the wall 22 with which it is associated so that when the tray is drawn d6wn, the constricted portion 20 of the opening 19. will encompass the shank screw beneath the head21 of the screw and thus pre vent remoyal by accident of the tray from its position on the wall.

The function of the punched out lips 10 is to engage theedge of theflanges 9 and it is quite evident that if the lips 10 disposed at position 11, engage the flanges 9, the superposed tray will slide down on the lower tray only until the lips 10 at position 11 strike against the closed end 8 and thus the superposed tray 5 will be in substantially the position shown in Figure 5, as will all of the superposed trays whose lipspositioned at 11 are engaged over the edges of the flanges 9. This feature is illustrated in Figure 8 where the lips 10 are engaging the flange 9 and is abutting against the bottom end 8 so that the tray 5 or uppermost tray is positioned, depending upon which of the lips 10 engages the bottom end 8 of the subjacent tray.

It is quite evident therefore, that if the lips 10 at position 12 are in engagement with the flange 9 and the lips 10 at position 11 are not in enga ement therewith but slide freely thereover, t at these lips 10 at position 12 will come down and engage the bottom end 8 thus positioning the superposed tra in a position lower down than illustrate in Figure 6 and likewise the lips 10 positioned at the point indicated by the numeral 13, if only in contact with the flanges 9 will position the trays at their greatest extended position relatively when said lips are against the bottom closed end 8 of the subjacent tray.

It is believed that this will be well understood and that any particular adjustment may be obtained depending upon the number of lips used on the side. For

instance, in Figure 5,. where a shallow drawer is necessary, or is used, the first tray Wlll be fastened to the side walls thereof through the medium of the tongues 14 and fastening elements 18 and each superposed section of the tray nest will be drawn out relatively to its subj acent member depending upon the shallowness of the drawer and the s allower the drawer, the greater will be the distance the adjacent trays are advanced relatively to each other.

This is quite evident from the drawing and 1t is also evident that when the trays are hung up, for instance, on a newsstand or in other position to display books and magazines,v

they can be arranged relatively to display as much or as little of their contents as is desired and also any number may be built up to form a unit to hold stationery in drawers or to display books or magazines or newspapers or other similar items in public places.

It will be evident, therefore, that I have i provided a new and improved tray structure which will effectively accommodate any amount of stationery and which may be made up in a variety of sizes, may be provided with any number of lips and will give any adjustment afforded depending upon the length of the tongues 14 through the medium ofwhich the trays are positioned in drawers of varying widths.

While I have illustrated and described my invention with some degree of particularity, I realize that in practice various alterations therein may be made. I therefore reserve the right and privilege of changing the form of the details of construction or otherwise altering the arrangement of the correlated parts without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by United States Letters Patent is 1. A set of trays each of which consists of sides,a bottom and end parts, the sides being turned inwardly to provide spaced top portions and pairs of lips punched out of the bottom and arranged longitudinally of the trays so that they may be used selectively to engage the edges of the top portion of a subjacent tray.

2. A set of trays each of which consists of sides, a bottom and end parts, the sides betions, lips punched out of the bottom and drawers of varying Widths and the bottom arranged longitudinally of the trays so that of the trays being provided with openings they engage the edges of the top portion ofa whereby the supporting tray may be secured 1 subjacent tray and are limited in their moveto a wall.

5 ment longitudinally thereof by contact with In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

said end parts, tongues in the sides of the trays whereby the trays may be secured in v JOHN RUZE. [L. 5.] 

